Police: Spa owner bribed victim to stay silent about assault

  • AUBURN — The owner of a spa has been arrested for allegedly attempting to bribe a victim to prevent her from reporting a crime, police said.

    Chengan Zhu, 52, of Shrewsbury, was taken into custody without incident after an investigation revealed he offered the victim money to stay silent following an incident at the spa on October 6th, according to the Auburn Police Department.

    On that day, officers responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a disturbance at Health Spa, located at 385 Southbridge Street. Police interviewed a woman who said she was a customer at the business and reported being forced to touch a masseur inappropriately during a massage. A 22-year-old Shrewsbury man was arrested at the time in connection with the incident, authorities said.

    Detectives later determined that Zhu, the spa’s owner, tried to pay the victim to avoid police involvement. Following an extensive investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for Zhu.

    He was arraigned December 11th in Worcester District Court on charges of witness intimidation and released on personal recognizance.

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